 "10 killed as Pakistan launches fresh strikes on three sites in Afghanistan; Kabul vows retaliation")
Pakistan launched fresh strikes on Afghan soil late Friday, killing at least 10 people and breaking a ceasefire that had brought two days of calm to the border, AFP reported.
“Pakistan has broken the ceasefire and bombed three locations in Paktika” province, said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity. “Afghanistan will retaliate.”
Pakistan launched strikes on Afghan soil late Friday, killing at least 10 people and breaking a ceasefire that had brought two days of calm to the border, officials told AFP.
The development came after as earlier today, both the countries agreed to extend their 48-hour ceasefire until the conclusion of planned peace talks in Doha.
A Pakistani delegation has already arrived in the Qatari capital, while the Afghan delegation is expected to reach Doha on Saturday, according to three Pakistani security officials and one Afghan Taliban source who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The temporary truce, first established on Wednesday, had paused several days of intense fighting along the border that left dozens dead and hundreds injured.
Pak can no longer afford relations with Afghanistan: Defence Minister Asif
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said on Friday Pakistan can no longer afford relations with Afghanistan as in the past, as he threatened to extract a heavy price from wherever terrorism originated against his country.
“Pakistan can no longer afford to maintain relations with Kabul as it did in the past,” Asif said in a social media post.
“All Afghans residing on Pakistani soil must return to their homeland; they now have their own government/caliphate in Kabul…Our land and resources belong to 250 million Pakistanis," he said.
“Self-respecting nations do not thrive on foreign land and resources,” he said.
Asif said that despite Pakistan’s efforts and sacrifices over five years, there has been no positive response from Kabul. “Pakistan issued 836 protest notes to the Afghan side and another 13 demarches,” he said.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsHe threatened to extract a heavy price from wherever terrorism originated against Pakistan.
“There will no longer be protest notes or appeals for peace; no delegations will go to Kabul. Wherever the source of terrorism lies, it will have to pay a heavy price,” he warned.
Asif also alleged that Afghanistan has become a “proxy of India” and is conspiring against Pakistan along with New Delhi and the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
“The rulers of Kabul, who are now sitting in India’s lap and conspiring against Pakistan, were once under our protection, hiding on our land,” he said.
Asif reaffirmed Pakistan’s readiness and capability to defend itself in the face of further aggression from Kabul.
With inputs from agencies
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